1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to warning light systems and, more particularly, to warning light assemblies for external installation on vehicles, especially emergency vehicles and other public service vehicles. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved apparatus of such character.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lighting systems for mounting on the exterior of police and other public service vehicles have long been known in the art. The most popular form of exterior lighting for emergency vehicles is the light bar. A typical light bar assembly, as exemplified by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,268, has a plurality of lights arranged on a beam which spans, but is spaced slightly above, the roof of a vehicle and which may be clamped to the vehicle rain gutters. Light bars are desirable because of their ability to provide a wide variety of highly visible light radiation patterns. However, regardless of whether a light bar is energized, its relatively large size and location on the roof of the vehicle makes it rather conspicuous. Thus, in circumstances where emergency vehicles, such as police cars, need to be inconspicuous, the use of light bars is generally undesirable.
With the increased concern for highway safety of recent years, both state and local police departments have increasingly relied on the use of "unmarked" police cruisers to improve the efficiency of law enforcement efforts. Such "unmarked" police cruisers need warning lights which are as inconspicuous as possible until energized and, when energized, produce a highly visible display. As discussed herein, a highly visible display is one which produces wide angle illumination and, particularly, illumination having a pattern which will minimize the possibility of a collision at an intersection.
The warning lights used on "unmarked" police cars have previously taken a variety of forms. These lights have included the "portable" rotating beacon or strobe light, which will typically be transported within the interior of the vehicle at least until use is required, lights mounted behind the front grille of a vehicle and special headlight/taillight assemblies which may include flash tubes. While these prior art inconspicuous lights have all found acceptance in the law enforcement community, the users thereof have expressed a desire for enhanced visibility at large angles relative to the direction of vehicle travel. Thus, there exists a need for an emergency vehicle light configuration which is both (1) relatively inconspicuous when the lights are not illuminated; and (2) highly conspicuous after the lights have been illuminated, particularly from the side of the vehicle on which installed.